Canadian residents cannot partake in the free e-book lending service for Kindle or TV/movie streaming

The brick-and-mortar stores have spent years battling Amazon for its low prices, lack of tax collection, cheap/fast shipping, etc. But now, Target has announced that it will match Amazon and certain other competitor's online prices year-round.

Target said that it will now match the prices of rival websites year-round including Amazon, Wal-Mart, Toys R Us and Best Buy.

Target typically does this over the holiday season, such as its most recent price match program from November 1 through December 16. However, as online shopping continues to grow in the U.S., the company is embracing this method year-round.

According to Target, it will offer a price match when a customer purchases an eligible product at a Target store and finds the same item for a lower price in the following week's Target ad or a local competitor's printed ad. It will also offer a price match if a customer finds the same item for a lower price within one week at the website of one of the above-mentioned competitors.

While this gives Target a competitive edge, Amazon isn't sitting put while rivals rise to the occasion. Amazon recently expanded its Prime services to Canada, where residents can pay the $79 annual fee for guaranteed two-day shipping.

However, unlike the U.S. version of Amazon Prime, Canadian residents cannot partake in the free e-book lending service for Kindle or TV/movie streaming. Amazon said it isn't planning on offering these options in Canada.

Amazon Prime launched in the U.S. in 2005 and typically costs $79 per year, but the e-tailer recently launched a monthly subscription option as well for $7.99.

I think that perfectly demonstrates just how powerful economics of scale are.

Canada has a totally separate distribution network from the US. It’s far, far less efficient. Combine that with smaller population, distinct packaging requirements (I believe French labeling alone is enough to keep many products off our shelves), separate regulatory and safety approvals/testing, and even higher costs to buy/rent retail space. It all adds up to 30% premium.

If we could just make NAFTA more like what they have in Europe, where goods and people move 100% freely between borders, and also harmonize (or eliminate) our product packaging and standards, you’d see some real changes.

Our anti-poverty advocates are always running around trying to slap taxes on people for subsidized this or that. Wouldn’t a 30% drop in prices help the poor more than any government program ever could?

I've got family in Canada so you can count me in for this idea. Traveling to another "state" would be better than dealing with the hassle of border crossings and different currencies.

You may have to leave behind your socialist policies (or at least get the integration done in the next 4 years lol) and have a small civil war with Quebec, but I'm all in support of a peaceful merger/annexation once you work out those internal issues. We're basically the same country anyway. 90% of the Canadian population is located within the 100 miles of the border. Let's just get it done so you guys can have free shipping.

I’d prefer we just go for a full economic and regulatory union, and keep the political separation. A Shared security perimeter type thing.

If you guys didn’t have a totally dysfunctional and corrupt federal government, I’d sign up for statehood in a heartbeat. But there’s no way I’d ever support joining a country being led down the path you guys are on.